Fire-resisting shutter or curtain.



No. 883,834. PATENTED APR. '1, 1908.

A. RUSH. FIRE RESISTING SHUTTER 0R CURTAIN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3l, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ALBERT RUSH N @thema/1:15,

PATENTED APR. '7, 1908.

A. RUSH.

PIRE RESISTING SHUTTER OR CURTAIN.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 31. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wwwtoz ALBERT RUSH Witwen@ /T @gif /f UNITED STATES PATENT oEEicE.

ALBERT RU-SH, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

FIRE-RESISTIN G SHUTTER OR CURTAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led May 31, 1907.

Patented April 7, 1908.

Serial No. 376,503.

tain counterbalanced by a spring roller,y

which curtain or shutter may be raised or lowered at will with means whereby it may be automatically lowered in case of iire.

The invention is embodied in the construction hereinafter described and kclaimed and shown in the accompan ing drawings, the invention not being con ned to the speciic instance illustrated.

In said drawings-Figure 1 is an elevation of 4a shutteribroken out) equipped with the present invention; Fig. 2 is an end view and section looking from the plane indicated by the line w-ac Fig. 1'; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the plane indicated by the line y-fj Fig. 1.

In the views 4 designates a suitable flexible metallic shuttersecured to be wound on a suitable drum 5. The roller is mounted between suitable end brackets 6 and 6u. The shaft 7 supporting the roller on the right-hand end bracket is fixed, while the shaft 7 in the left-hand end bracket is rotatable, being secured, as shown, to turn with the drum. The spring 8 is fixed at one end to the fixed shaft 7a and at its other end to the drum so as to be wound and unwound b it as the curtain is wound and unwounc. The progressive variation of the tension of the spring as the curtain is wound or un- Wound tends to compensate for or counterbalance that portion ofthe curtain which is exposed and makes the curtain easy to operate. The shaft 7 is extended beyondthe left-hand end bracket and .is provided with a miter gear 9.

J ournaled in suitable bearings beyond the end bracket 6 and'at right angles to the axis of the roller is an auxiliary shaft. 1() on one end of which is fixed a initer gear 11 meshing with the aforesaid gear 9, the other end 0f said shaft containing fixed thereto a sheave 12. Attached at one end to the rim of the sheave 12 is a cord 13 the free end of which winds and unwinds with the winding and unwinding of the curtain.

14 designates a weight having at the opposite sides of its upper end V-sliaped proJections 14a..

15 designates a bifurcated lever pivoted at its shank end to the outer side of vthe end bracket 6. The tangs of the .bifurcated lever 15 are provided with inwardly extending V-shaped bearings 15a upon which the corresponding projections of the weight rest when the latter and the lever 15 are properly adjusted and supported. The lever 15 is held up in weight-sup orting position by means of a gravity latc 1 16 pivoted in suitable eyes 17 beyond the end of the lever. The. gravity latch 16 is provided with two suitable off-set shoulders 16a to afford bearings for the ends of the 'bifurcated weightsupporting lever 15, and the bearing ends of sai bifurcated lever can be made V-sha ed or pointed so as to more surely sli off w en the gravity latch is released. T e gravity latch is held in raised position to support the weight in readyto -operate position by means of a wire .composed of sections 18 united at points by fusible solder as at 18, said wire being connected to the gravity latch and stretched, in the instance shown, across the front of the shuttered opening and attached to a fixed point on the opposite end bracket 6*". The weight 14 is provided with a vertical opening 14b through which the cord 13 passes, said cord being provided with a stop lbutton 13il to catch and hold the weight on the cord when the latter is re leased.

19 is a bracket placed/a foot or two above the lower end of the window or door opening to arrest the weight before the curtain has completely descended. The advantage of this weight-arresting bracket is that without it the momentum imparted to the curtain by the weight might be so great as to damage the curtain, and further it is important that the curtain be easily raised or 'lowered at least at its lower portion after its automatic closure in case of fire, for the purpose of affording egress of ersons within the building, or on the other land, 0f access of firemen to the interior of the building.

In the normal operation "of the shutter, the normal position being that indicated in Fig. 1, the cord 13 simply moves freely up and 'down through the hole in the weight when the shutter is raised and lowered.

In case of nearby fire the solder at 18EL fuses and releases the gravity latch 16 and liberates the we' ht. The weight is of such size that when a ded to that of the unrolled portion of the curtain it overbalances the s ring and therefore unwinds the curtain.

t should be such that the momentum of the curtain can be relied upon to send the curtain to closed position after the weight has been arrested in its descent.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. The combination with a flexible fire resisting curtain or shutter and roller therefor and means adapting the curtain to be raised and lowered, of means operated by a dangerous rise of temperature for automatically owering the curtain ifhin elevated position, and means for arresting the operation of said automaticall operated lowering means prior to the comp ete descent of the curtain, said means for raising and lowering the curtain being unaected by the means for automatically lowering the curtain.

2. The combination with a flexible fire resisting curtain or shutter and roller therefor and means adapting the curtain to be raised and lowered, of means, for automatically lower` the curtain if in elevated osition, said ast mentioned means includmg a weight and means for supporting the wei ht in inoperative position, means operate by a dangerous rise of temperature for releasing the wei ht to operate on the curtain, and means or arresting the operation of the weight prior toI the complete descent of the curtain.

3. The combination with the roller of a flexible fire resisting curtain or shutter, of a sheave operative by said roller, a cord on said sheave, a weight, and means to release the weight to engage the cord and operate the curtain upon the occurrence of nearby fire, and means for arresting the operation of the Weight on the cord prior to the complete descent of the curtain. 4. The combination with the roller of a .flexible iire resisting curtain or shutter and curtain or shutter as it is unrolled, of a sheave o erative by said roller, a cord on lsaid s cave, a weight, and means to release the weight to engage the cord and operate the curtain upon the occurrence of nearby fire.

6. The combination with a fire resisting curtain or shutter. and a roller therefor, of a sheave operative by said roller, a cord on said sheave, a weight to act on said cord, means for suspending said weight comprising a lever and a latch to hold said lever, and means fusible by a dangerous rise of temperature to hold said latch.

7. The combination with a fire resisting curtain or shutter, and a roller therefor, of a sheave operative by said roller, a cord on said sheave, a weight to act von said cord, means for suspending said weight, means for releasing said suspending means comprising a stretched wire anda connection for said wire ,fusible by a dangerous rise of temperature, and means for arresting the operation of the weight on the cord prior to the complete descent of the curtain.

8. The combination with a fireresisting curtain or shutter, a cord, means in connection with the shutter for operating the cord, and a weight to act, when released, on the cord to draw down. the curtain or shutter, means for suspending the weight, said weight provided with an opening through which the cord moves in the normal operation of the curtain or shutter.

9. The combination with a fire resisting curtain or shutter, means adapting it to be raised and lowered, a cord, and means in connection with the shutter or curtain for raising and lowering said cord with the raising and lowering respectively of the shutter or curtain, a weight and means for suspending said weight o erative to be released by a dangerous rise o tem erature, and means whereby said weight ecomes attached to said cord when released.

10. The combination with a fire resisting curtain or shutter, means adapting it to be raisedI and lowered, means for automatically lowering the curtain or shutter if in elevated position operative by a dangerous rise of temperature, and means for arresting the operation of the automatically lowering means prior to the complete descent of the curtain.

11. The combination with a iire resisting curtain or shutter, means adapting it to be raised and lowered, a weight, means for susending said weight, said weight when reeased adapted to engagel said curtain or shutter to lower the same, and means for arresting said weight prior to the complete descent of the curtain or shutter.

12. The combination with a iiexible fire resisting curtain or shutter and counterbalancing roller therefor and means adapting the curtain to be raised and lowered, of

means for automatically lowering the curtain if in elevated position, said last mentioned means including a weight and means for supporting the wel ht in inoperative position, means operated y a dangerous rise of temperature for releasing the weight to operate on the curtain, and means for arresting the 'sasai i operation of the Weight prior to the complete descent ofthe curtain.

13. The combination With a counterbalancing spring roller for a flexible re resisting curtain or shutter, said roller having a shaft turnin with said roller, an auxiliary shaft journa ed near the roller shaft, gearin between the roller shaft and the auxl ia-ry shaft, a sheave on said auxiliary shaft, a cord on said shaft, a-Weight and means for suspending it near said sheave, means whereby said Wei ht u on its release may be engaged with said cord), means rendered operative by a dangerous rise of temperature to release said wel ht.

14. T e combination with a counterbalancing spring roller for a flexible re resisting curtain or shutter, said roller havin a shaft turning with said 4ro11er, a gear whee on said shaft, an auxiliary shaft 'ournaled near said roller shaft, a gear Whee on said auxilia shaft engaged by the gear Wheel on said roller shaft, a sheave on said auxiliary shaft, a cord on said sheavefa weight and means for suseratlve by a dan pen it in proximity to said sheave, andmeaillvhereby said weight when released is adapted to engage said cord, and means operous rise of temperature to release said Weigt.

15. The' combination with a counterbalancing spring roller for a flexible fire resisting curtain or shutter, said roller having a shaft turning with said roller, a beveled gear on said shaft, an auxiliar shaft arranged and journaled near said roller shaft and at right angles thereto, a beveled gear on said auxiliary shaft engaged by the beveled gear of the roller shaft, a sheave on said .auxiliary shaft, a cord on said sheave, a weight and means for suspendin it in proximity to ,said sheave, and means w ereby said weight when released is adapted to engage said cord, and means operative by a dangerous rise of temperature to release said Welght,

ALBERT RUSH. Witnesses:

CHARLES A. MOETEN, BENJAMIN FINCKEL. 

